The invention relates generally to firearms and, more particularly to safety and training devices used in conjunction with firearms.
In order to maintain proficiency, law enforcement and military personnel are required to undergo initial as well as periodic refresher training involving the use of the firearms that they employ in the normal course of their duties. Despite the numerous safety precaution related to firearms training that have been instituted by both police and military organizations, accidents involving the use of firearms still occur. Often with tragic consequences.
Due to the nature of the work, and in an effort to make training as realistic as possible, it is not possible to conduct some training exercise without using the actual firearms carried by the trainee in the course of performing their duties. Such training exercise may involve, for example hostage rescue scenarios, force employment exercise and various arrests scenarios involving suspect resistance. During these exercisexe2x80x94which do not involve live firexe2x80x94it is important that the individual conducting the exercise be able to immediately tell if any weapon used in the training is not safe.
Currently, before engaging in any training involving the use of weapons, the first thing that is done is to ensure that all weapons being used are unloaded. While in the majority of cases this step is sufficient to ensure weapons safety, such step offers no visual indication to an instructor that all of the weapons used in a training scenario are indeed safe. Furthermore, the step of unloading one""s weapon does not always protect against an accident resulting from a jammed cartridge or the inadvertent chambering of a round. Given the horrific results that arise from accidents involving firearms, a safety device that (1) allows one to immediately recognize that a weapon is safe and (2) prevents the inadvertent firing of a weapon would be an important advancement in the art.
In addition to ensuring firearm safety, it would also be useful to have a device that assists an individual in developing and maintaining control of a weapon during the firing sequence. Currently, trainees undergo what is known as dry firing exercises in an effort to teach them not to anticipate the xe2x80x9cpullxe2x80x9d of the trigger and discharge of the weapon. Such training is useful in teaching the trainee not to xe2x80x9cflinchxe2x80x9d or tighten up their muscles when firing the weapon. A device that would ensure that the weapon is safe and, at the same time, allow an instructor and student to see the effect the student""s muscular reaction has on the stability of the weapon when it is fired would be an important advancement in the art.
An object of the invention is to provide a gun safety and marksmanship training device and a method for use that overcome some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a gun safety and marksmanship training device and method that allows for the safe use of guns in a police or military training environment.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a gun safety and marksmanship training device and method that allows one to immediately perceive if a gun is in a safe condition.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a gun safety and marksmanship training device and method that allows an instructor to identify whether or not a student is flinching during the firing of a weapon.
Another object of the invention involves a safety device for a gun having a handle, a barrel and a chamber. The safety device is comprised of a gun-attachment member capable of being secured to the gun and a chamber-disabling component, that is secured to the gun-attachment.
An additional object of the invention involves a marksmanship training device for use with a gun having a handle, a barrel and a chamber. The marksmanship training device includes a gun-attachment member capable of being secured to the gun, a chamber-disabling component secured to the gun-attachment member and having a portion that extends through the chamber and barrel and out of the barrel, and a weight secured to the portion of the chamber-disabling component positioned out of the barrel.
Another object of the invention involves a method for disabling a gun having a handle, a barrel and a chamber, the method comprising the steps of: (1) attaching a gun-attachment member to the firearm and (2) inserting at least a portion of a chamber-disabling component associated with the gun-attachment member into the chamber.
Another object of this invention involves a method for teaching marksmanship training using a gun having a handle, a chamber and a barrel, the teaching method is comprised of the steps of: (1) attaching a gun-attachment member to the gun; (2) inserting a chamber-disabling component into the chamber such that a portion of the chamber-disabling component extends through the chamber and barrel and out of an end of the barrel; (3) securing a weight to the portion of chamber-disabling component positioned out of the barrel; (4) dry firing the gun; and (5) monitoring movement of the weight attached to the chamber-disabling component.
Finally, another object of this invention also includes a gun-disabling safety kit comprised of a gun-attachment member and a chamber-disabling component.